Shows
Apple Blossom TeachersREAL Lesson Planning Outline for Student Engagement We’ve all sat through PD sessions that were less than engaging. It doesn’t feel great to be sitting through a session covering content we already know, or that has us sitting and listening for the bulk, rather than actively putting the new content into practice. The same goes for our students. Today I’m sharing a quick acronym to help you self-check lessons to get the most bang for your instructional buck. When we are planning content that we know might be a little lengthy or dry for our students, we can make it REAL and hook the...
2023-10-0915 min
Podcasting for Educators: Podcasting Tips for Online Entrepreneurs117. Podcasters Share Their WINS and BEST ADVICE in Celebration of International Podcast Day 2023Happy International Podcast Day! This week, we're celebrating a few days early in honor of this international celebration of the power of podcasts. I'm featuring new and seasoned podcasters as they share their wins and best advice for anyone considering starting a podcast. And if you're a current podcaster, listen in to celebrate other podcasters in this space, and you may even find some potential guests for your show! I'm also sharing some really cool stats that just came out from an annual podcasting report. I can't wait for you to hear from these amazing podcasters!
2023-09-2725 min
Apple Blossom TeachersDitch the reading logs! Try this instead... (TLDR - reading logs don't work, but this FREE printable bookshelf can!) Traditional reading logs - we've all seen them, used them, most likely fibbed on them...GASP! It's the truth though - in every post I see about reading logs, so many teachers and parents share anecdotes about how they have encouraged fibbing, even from voracious readers, because it's just something extra to fill out. We do know that keeping track of what we read can be helpful - it allows us to see patterns in our preferences of authors, genres, styles...
2023-08-2112 minApple Blossom Teachers64. Student-centered Curriculum DesignStudent centered norms and classroom design are important to establishing the ownership and engagement we desire. But what about when we get into the day-to-day, actual content area instruction? Many of our teacher manuals aren't particularly designed to be student-centered, primarily because the big publishers don't know our actual students! There are somethings we can do, though, to adapt our content delivery and activities to be more student-centered: 1. Overlapping our content areas 2. Intentionally using formative assessments and flexibility of pacing 3. Providing opportunities to go deeper, not just move faster ...
2023-08-1408 minApple Blossom TeachersClassroom Routines & Procedures in a Student-Centered ClassroomToday I’m sharing a quick run down of tips to keep in mind as you plan your class procedures and how you will introduce them during that very busy first week of school. The short version: Pre-teach things that are essential to starting a task Mention that you may pause their work mid-activity to briefly introduce the next system they need to know Layer the teaching into activities that use it - don’t separate a full time block to teach a million systems, introduce them as you need them and r...
2023-08-0809 minApple Blossom TeachersFirst Week of School Activities to Eliminate Student-centered Learning ChallengesWith student ownership over their learning comes a need for shared responibility over the space and systems. Today I'm sharing 3 activities you can do within the first few days of school to support positive classroom management and gain student buy-in. Anchor charts to open dialogue about our shared vision for a succesful learning environment. Class commitments that will bring that shared vision to life. Family connections - sharing our vision and asking for support from our families. These 3 things can be circled back to all year as you and your students reflect on what is and is...
2023-07-2722 minApple Blossom TeachersBack to School Tips for Student Centered Classroom DesignLet's look at a few easy swaps and considerations for setting up a student-centered classroom. Today we'll talk: math manipulatives classroom library student supplies writing station and more! Links and resources:
2023-07-1730 minApple Blossom TeachersWhat Is Student-Centered Learning and Why Is It Important in Upper Elementary? Today we are kicking off a mini series all about student-centered learning environments. What is student centered learning and why is it important in upper elementary? Today’s episode will be a little more philosophical…overall what does this mean to us and other educators? How has this looked in upper grade classrooms? What are the outcomes - pros and cons- of creating a student- centered learning environment? All of these can hopefully help you reflect on where your classroom is, and what we want our classrooms to be like next school year. Over the next few episodes, we...
2023-07-1008 minApple Blossom TeachersElementary Earth Day Activities...with a dose of SEL?! In honor of Earth Day, I’m RECYCLING and REPURPOSING an incredible interview with Amy Louise Davis, of Alou Artist, all about how we can reduce “throw away culture” in our classrooms while also supporting mindfulness and creativity in our students. Amy is a textile artist and embroiderer who is fascinated by pattern and sculpture. Influenced by environmental and social issues, she created alou in 2013 to tackle throw away culture. With a particular interest in repurposing often overlooked, pre-loved materials, she uses her skills in sculpting and embroidery to conceptualize and design beautiful new artifacts. Amy has also foun...
2023-04-2123 minApple Blossom TeachersTeacher Inspiration Stories and StrategiesWhat was the BEST class you've ever been in? What made it so? Great teachers have a knack for seamlessly weaving inspiration, passion, and content together in a way that creates a community of curiosity & excitement. We no doubt always start the year with the mindset of creating this type of learning environment for our students, but come May? No amount of sparkly motivational teacher quotes or giant travel mugs of coffee are getting us through the days right now! So take today's episode as a little power boost to get you through th...
2023-04-1308 minApple Blossom Teachers57. Differentiated Novel Studies: Helping all readers access complex textsWe’ve been chatting a ton about higher order thinking skills and getting our students really digging deep with our grade level content. 🤷♀️But what do we do when students are struggling to simply meet that grade level content? How can we simultaneously scaffold our instruction while also supporting all learners in applying HOTS and complex application of grade level content? It’s absolutely possible, and it is absolutely necessary! Today I'm sharing simple strategies for supporting all learners in accessing opportunities for creative application of learning and complex discussions during novel studies...
2023-03-0913 minApple Blossom TeachersTeaching Informational Texts Doesn't Have to be Boring!Looking for some fun ways to teach informational text structures, author's purpose, nonfiction text features, and more that go beyond the usual activities and anchor charts? Here's a quick mini-lesson and an exploration activity you can use to engage your students authentically with informational text analysis. Watch how this frame of thinking shifts the complexity for all your informational reading and writing lessons for the year. 🎉 Grab the FREE on-demand training "5 Keys to Increasing Student Engagement in Upper Elementary" here. You'll get project examples, instructional strategies, and as always, some teacher pep talks to keep your o...
2023-02-2316 minApple Blossom TeachersHigher Order Thinking Question Examples - an easy strategy for leveling up student-generated questionsLet's chat about an easy way to push students' observations, analyses, and questioning to a higher level. Using a strategy known as "Think Like A Disciplinarian," students are challenged to take on the perspective of an expert in a field or topic. Students ask questions, make observations, and draw relevant conclusions that a specific disciplinarian would note about our topic of study. Why is this helpful for teaching higher order thinking skills? Taking on a specific perspective allows students to openly ask questions and analyze a topic in a more complex way, vs j...
2023-02-1913 minApple Blossom TeachersThe Science of Reading Goes Beyond DecodingI’m sharing a tool, known as the Icons of Depth and Complexity, for getting our students to think deeply about the texts we read, events we discuss, and situations we encounter. This simple tool for helping students access and apply higher-order thinking skills is a game changer for so many reasons! 🌟🌟🌟 Spelling lessons not sticking for your students? Learn how a few easy shifts to science-informed spelling can make a world of difference! Enrollment in Stronger Spelling: Small Steps for Teachers of Big Kids is now open. Visit AppleBlossomTeachers.com/spelling to learn more and join the...
2023-01-2310 minApple Blossom TeachersMake Good Reading Responses Even BetterThese 2 strategies had my students asking if they were allowed to go back and reread! Yup, a great reading response prompt can be the difference between "I have to go back and find text evidence." and "I've gotta find evidence to prove my point!!" Strategy 1: Add a Likert Scale to yes/no questions. Strategy 2: Have students add themseleves to the scene or event. 🌟🌟🌟 Did you hear? I'm kicking off a mini course to help busy upper elementary teachers increase spelling success without revamping your whole word study system. 🔗 Learn more and join the wai...
2023-01-1412 minApple Blossom TeachersHot take - When students are stuck, just GIVE them the information.Today's quick win strategy is all about keeping our students moving forward, allowing them to deeply engage with complex upper elementary skills, by just giving them the key information. Literally, just give them the key! Fluently solving multiplication facts, figuring out how to spell a word, finding key details from a story...yes, there is a time and place for teaching our students these things. But when working on more complex aspects, don't stall student engagement by sidetracking the lesson. Or worse, don't hold students back from participation in a lesson just because they are...
2023-01-0507 minApple Blossom TeachersStudent Publishing to Increase Writing MotivationOver the last few weeks, we’ve been chatting all about how we can bridge high quality reading instruction to strengthen our students’ writing. Today I want to share this throwback episode to give you some project ideas your students can actually apply all these lessons to. I hope this juicy past episode gives you some ideas on how to motivate and engage your young writers, and provides a frame of reference as we start to get into some higher order thinking strategies over the next few weeks. Episode 31 Links and Resources: 💻 Looking for more...
2022-12-0949 minApple Blossom TeachersLessons on Writing from Real AuthorsWe’ve talked about using physical texts such as novels, picture books, and poems as mentor text for writing and reading standards. But what if instead of just learning from the author’s writing, we actually learn directly from the author themselves? Today I’m sharing all about why and how you can use author chats (live experiences or prerecorded) to study authors crafts moves for upper elementary writing lessons. How can we regularly bring author’s voices and advice into our upper elementary classrooms? How can we ensure these types of experiences apply to lessons on writi...
2022-12-0108 minApple Blossom TeachersHow to Use one Mentor Text for Narrative Writing and Reading SkillsToday's focus will be literary mentor texts - using one text with paired reading and writing standards to maximize our class time, increase student engagement with the content, and create learning that lasts. One picture book can tackle authors craft moves, author’s voice, tone of the story, point of view, sentence structures, and research for writing, to analyzing literary elements, word choice, narrative text features, tone of the story, and more for reading. Mentor text for narrative writing in this episode: fiction novels, poetry, fictional narrative picture books, narrative nonfiction picture books, wordless picture books For...
2022-12-0117 minApple Blossom TeachersUsing a reading lesson plan for writingOne strategy to really deepen complexity and understanding beyond memorization, to a place where students are truly applying that skill, is to be very intentional with pairing reading and writing. Today, we're chatting all about using your weekly reading lesson plan to truly guide your writing plans. Why is this a huge help for BOTH reading and writing understandings? How does this increase student engagement? How the heck do I fit this in with my given pacing plan?!? This episode zones in on one example, specifically narrative point of view, to give you an idea...
2022-11-1717 minApple Blossom TeachersReading Conferences: A sneaky strategy for reading instruction in upper elementaryIt boils down to this: Students can’t love reading without knowing HOW to read. The good news is, teaching students how to read and creating a class community full of students who love to read can definitely happen simultaneously. And in upper grades, it absolutely needs to. Reading conferences are a great strategy for reading instruction in upper elementary, really helping you meet your students where they are and nudge their reading abilities forward. Listen in for what reading conferences ca look like, why they're such an impactful strategy for reading less...
2022-11-1011 minApple Blossom Teachers3 Novel study no-no's you may be making (and how to fix them!)These are 3 common novel study and read aloud no-no’s, all 3 that I've definitely done myself! Teaching the BOOK, not the READER. Choosing a book that doesn't resonate with your current readers. Choosing a book that will take too long, OR taking too long on a short book. Today's episode shares what we can do instead that will increase student engagement and propel their learning forward. Resources mentioned in this episode: Dr. Sandra Kaplan's Icons of Depth & Complexity: An introduction from Kern County's Reagan Elementary Ian Byrd - Byrdseed - critical thinking strategies and in...
2022-11-0314 minApple Blossom TeachersClassroom Community Building Starts with a Strong Reading CultureWant 5 simple ways you can support a strong reading culture in upper elementary, and surprisingly have some strong classroom community building as a bonus?! Allow for reading choice Make time for book talks & reading life chats Use reading journals instead of traditional reading logs Incorporate reading conferences to individualize reading progress Share novels primarily for the love of reading! Resources mentioned in this episode: Reading Journal "Bookself" visual A More Powerful Reading Journal - Teacher Guide and Templates The Book Whisperer book by Donalyn Miller Your no-prep action item this week is to share pieces of...
2022-10-2711 min
Learning to Love MathEpisode 44 | 3 Easy Steps to Authentic Student Engagement, with Lorraine Padilla from Apple Blossom Teachers @appleblossomteachersHave you ever wished that your students would just be more engaged with their learning?
I get it. I've been there, too.
But, what does engagement mean, anyway? And how can you be sure that you're getting true engagement, and not just compliance?
This is what I talk through with Lorraine Padilla from Apple Blossom Teachers (this is a store follow link on TeachersPayTeachers, by the way).
You're going to LOVE what she does with field trips, guest speakers, and authentic audiences for her students' projects!
...
2022-08-3038 minApple Blossom TeachersWriting Strategy for Peer Editing - The Speed ProofreadYou've heard of speed dating, right? What if I told you that model works for efficient and pretty thorough peer editing, too?! "Speed Proofread" eliminates some of the challenges and pressure that come with exchanging papers with one peer, and shifts proofreading and revisions to a whole-class, collaborative effort where everyone supports everyone's growth. The best part? It can be done in just 15 minutes! Grab the table tents and a written description of the activity here, and be sure to share this with a fellow teacher who would find it helpful.
2022-08-1108 minApple Blossom TeachersGallery Walk Peer FeedbackThis is a simple, no-prep method for helping students give authentic, skills-focused feedback on peer projects. Having students set up art projects, STEM designs, etc. around the room in a gallery format, then having students leave sticky note compliments around peer projects using content-specific vocabulary we were focusing on. Check out examples here and here of how we've done this with an art project! Don't forget to share this episode with a friend who would find it helpful, and catch you next week for another of may favorite peer feedback strategies!
2022-08-0405 minApple Blossom TeachersGallery Walk Student PresentationsShort on time, but still want students to regularly practice formally presenting to peers? Enter - Gallery Walk Presentations! This is a great strategy for building students' presentation confidence, and great for assessing peer listening comprehension. Listen in for a quick run down of what this can look like in upper elementary. Links and Resources: Biography Presentation Listening Comprehension Rubric - snag it now before the price increases as more project types are added! Want even more student engagement ideas? Grab your FREE on-demand video training at appleblossomteachers.com/real Ready for a personalized...
2022-07-2409 min
Apple Blossom TeachersSchool Accessibility: Considerations for field trips, assemblies, and more with Erin Castillo of Affirmations and AccessibilityAccommodations aren’t just for inside our classrooms, and Erin Castillo of @AffirmationsAndAccessibility is sharing some insight on how we can make all parts of our school year engaging and accessible to all our learners. This is such an important conversation full of eye-opening considerations. You will leave this episode feeling empowered to support each and every student during things like field trips, assemblies, group projects, and so much more. Erin and I would love to hear your biggest takeaways, questions you have upon reflection, and if you’d like us to dig deeper into access...
2022-07-1436 minApple Blossom TeachersStudent Engagement Strategy: Guest speakers in the elementary classroomGuest speakers can be an easy way to make learning relevant, help students build value for skills, topics, and disciplines you are covering, and form partnerships that can open even more learning opportunities within your community. Ready for more? Join me on July 28th for a half-day, virtual, interactive workshop! I am so excited to help you collaboratively design your student-centered classroom...a place where your students will be eager to continue learning, sharing their knowledge, and have the teachers down the hall asking "how the heck do you do that?!" I promise it's easier...
2022-07-0814 minApple Blossom TeachersA Simple Reading and Writing StrategyShort and Sweet Episode Week 3: This is a strategy called “Step In - Step Out,” which I originally learned from Michael Friermood, AKA The Thinker Builder. You can learn more about his version HERE, which is awesome for building a deeper understanding of a narrative text, as well as the impact of authors’ choices. I also have a few ideas for how we can do something similar but more focused on nonfiction texts. Listen in for my two ideas, plus a little announcement about an incredible interview dropping on July 12! 💻 Looking for more? Grab the FREE on-de...
2022-07-0112 minApple Blossom TeachersStudent Engagement: Quick scans to introduce vocabularyWelcome to week two of our Short And Sweet Summer episodes! Each week I'll share one quick-win engagement strategy for your third through sixth grade classroom, along with a brain dump of ways YOU can use it! These SASS-y episodes are great for a quick listen while running errands, or to save up for a big binge on your upcoming flight or road trip! 💡I'm sharing my two favorite "quick scan" activities for kicking off a unit. These are intended to activate students' background knowledge and give you a glimpse of where you'll need to inves...
2022-06-2313 minApple Blossom TeachersStudent Engagement: Examples and non-examples sorts for every subject areaWelcome to week one of our Short And Sweet Summer episodes! Each week I'll share one quick-win engagement strategy for your third through sixth grade classroom, along with a brain dump of ways YOU can use it! These SASS-y episodes are great for a quick listen while running errands, or to save up for a big binge on your upcoming flight or road trip! 💡Today is all about concept attaintment - a way of getting students to think deeply about the content you will be studying, before you even tell them what it is! These examp...
2022-06-1715 minApple Blossom TeachersTop 3 Tips to Maximize your Teacher Summer PDTop 3 Tips to Maximize your Summer PD: A system for your notes, a system for your files, and a system to keep track of how well (or not!) the new ideas work when you try them! These are my top 3 tips to get the most out of the amazing summer learning you have planned. And speaking of summer learning, are you ready to join me for a one-day virtual LIVE workshop? The Upper Elementary Engagement Academy is coming this July. Together, we will design YOUR student-centered classroom to increase engagement, spark motivation, and level up learning! For a...
2022-06-0914 minApple Blossom TeachersTeacher Summer Priorities Teacher Summer Priorities: Join me in a more casual episode as I share a little behind-the-scenes of the summer reflection process we’ve been chatting about. If you need a little inspiration or camaraderie, this is the episode for you! Looking for something a little more actionable? Grab the FREE on-demand video training: 5 Lasting Ways to Increase Student Engagement in Upper Elementary 🔗 Links and resources from this episode: Episode 33: Reflecting with purpose MonaMath Summer Collaborative FREE Summer Reflections Guide for Teachers Grab the FREE virtual training: 5 Lasting Ways to Increase Student Engagement in Upper Elementary
2022-06-0225 minApple Blossom TeachersTeacher Summer Learning: Choose your own PD adventureWelcome to “Choose-your-own-adventure” summer learning edition! Whether it’s organization and planning, instruction in specific content areas, or even taking your teaching to the next level, here are some recommendations. Use the guide below to quickly find what you need, or listen to the full episode so you know what else is available when you need it. I scratched the surface on why these ones made the curated list, so feel free to DM me on Instagram @appleblossomteachers for more info on any of the resources I recommended! 📍Choose your own summer PD adventure: Use this to fi...
2022-05-261h 01
Instructional Coaching with Ms. B103. Supporting Teacher Reflection with Lorraine PadillaReflection is vital for improving teaching practices. In this episode, I talk to Lorraine Padilla from Apple Blossom Teachers about supporting teacher reflection. During the call, we discuss why reflecting is important, common misunderstandings, and how coaches and administrators can help teachers turn their reflections into action. We share tips for making reflection a habit, ways to keep reflective conversations positive, and how to build time for reflection into planning sessions. Listen now! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B InstagramBuzzing with Ms. B TpTThe Coaching Podcast Show Notes Thank you for listening to...
2022-05-2137 minApple Blossom TeachersBefore your summer PD, ask these questions to reflect on your school yearHave you ever come back to that one week of teacher prep time feeling like it’s just NOT enough to really help you mentally and instructionally plan for a solid year? Then once we get into the day-to-day hustle, it’s impossible to catch up, let alone get ahead! This leads to that slow-burning-candle vibe, which ain’t it if we want to stay passionate and be our best teacher selves. The solution? Intentionally plan for how you will rest, recharge, reset, and refine your teacher self this summer. Grab a notepad or the free notetaking guide, and let’s g...
2022-05-2021 minApple Blossom TeachersElementary Writing Instruction: Take off the training wheels:It can be such a great feeling when our kids are writing solid paragraphs or essays, using the fun little acronyms or mnemonic devices we’ve supported them with. But just like learning to ride a bike with training wheels, it’s not until those extra supports are taken off that you’re truly challenged with applying your skills. Today, we are chatting all about teaching writing without a formula. 💻 Looking for more ways to take learning from ROTE to REAL? Grab the free video training here, plus a print-and-go planning template you can use tomorrow! 📍 The Navigator: Use...
2022-05-1223 minApple Blossom Teachers31. Upper Elementary Writing Engagement: authentic audience project ideas for 3rd - 6th grade teachersStudents who are BEGGING for more writing time? Yes, please! One easy key to increasing writing engagement and motivation is adding in an authentic audience. Here’s why you need to be leveraging this strategy, plus real 3rd - 6th grade project ideas from no additional prep all the way to the big leagues, major audience productions. 💻 Looking for more ways to take learning from ROTE to REAL? Grab the free video training here, plus a print-and-go planning template you can use tomorrow! 📍 The Navigator: Use this to find what you need most! (3:00...
2022-05-0547 minApple Blossom TeachersUsing Writing Workshop to increase motivation and writing growth in upper elementaryHow can you differentiate for such a wide range of writing levels in upper elementary, especially when it feels like pulling teeth to get your kids excited about writing? Writer’s Workshop is a great solution, and with a few key moves in your teacher toolbox, your students’ writing will start to soar! ***There are TONS of great references and resources shared throughout this episode. Scroll down to the Links section to check out the books I use and those free Jen Bengel resources I mentioned. The Navigator: Use this to find what you need most...
2022-04-2838 minApple Blossom TeachersInformational Writing Instruction: 3 activities to help your students "read like writers" and improve their informational writingDo you use literary mentor texts in your classroom? This practice has definitely gained popularity, and for good reason, but many of the resources out there offer strategies for using picture books, novels, and poetry as mentor texts for writing. The strategies from literature analysis can be applied to nonfiction sentence structure, but there are a few easy things you can add to specifically help your students read like writers in informational text. You don’t want to miss: (4:40) My biggest reason for wanting my students to write with variety and authenticity…spoiler alert, it’s totally...
2022-04-2126 minApple Blossom TeachersBuild Your Classroom Library on a Budget: Informational Text EditionRemember all those incredible types of informational text we talked about last week? (ICYMI, definitely head back to episode 27!) Today I’m spilling my secrets for bulking up your informational classroom library section on a budget. Listen in for 6 ways you can support student learning with more (and more authentic!) informational texts for free and almost-free! You don’t want to miss: 2:15 - Dani’s question about how to set up a classroom library that doesn’t have a ton of books (yet!). 5:40 - managing borrowed books from the public library so they are ready for...
2022-04-1427 minApple Blossom TeachersInformational Text Your Classroom Needs Now: Going beyond books and articlesWelcome back! I am so pumped for this relaunch. Let's jump on in! >>> Nonfiction books and articles are often readily available in our curriculum and digital downloads, but there’s a whole world of real informational text we can easily incorporate beyond that. Grab your notepad, because I’m sharing TONS of easy ways you can expose your students to more authentic, more varied types of informational text. Giving nonfiction text a purpose in their world, beyond the classroom, is key to increasing student motivation and engagement. You don’t want to miss: (3:3...
2022-04-0736 min
Apple Blossom TeachersThe not-an-art-teacher's guide to sketchbooks in the classroom: boost engagement, content retention, and social skills through simple and transferrable art explorationsSummary: Today’s episode is FULL of simple and actionable strategies that will level up your students’ motivation, retention of content knowledge, interpersonal skills, and so much more. The key? Sketchbooks!! I’m sharing a little about my journey with sketchbooks in the classroom, and how I use them as a tool to support student creativity and content knowledge in transferable ways. Key Points: This episode is brought to you by Sketch for Schools. Sketch for schools is on a mission to support learning through visual arts, even sharing brain-based research on the po...
2021-07-2919 min
Apple Blossom TeachersWhat makes a great math class? A chat with Mona Iehl, your "math teacher cheerleader!"Summary: Were you a math lover or a “math avoider” as a student? What do you want your students to be? I had the privilege of chatting with Mona Iehl of Local Learners and Co, who is sharing her passion and strategies for building positive math identities within our students. Mona is an absolute “math teacher cheerleader” and the tips she shares in this episode are so motivating and so actionable! A few things we chatted about: Math is creative! A positive class community can make a world of difference in supporting our learners. Speed isn’t...
2021-07-0930 minApple Blossom Teachers24. New teaching job? Start here!Summary: Congrats! You just landed a new teaching job...but where to begin?! You’re so excited to start, but it’s still a couple months until you can really meet with your team or set up your room. Even if you aren’t sure of the specifics quite yet, there are a few things you can think about that can help you feel ready once back to school hits. Decide on your educational priorities: What would people notice about how you teach and how your students learn? What is the general “feel” of your classroom community a...
2021-07-0313 minApple Blossom TeachersClassroom Trash to Treasure: An interview with artist Amy Davis on sustainability, mindfulness, and tackling "throw away culture" in our classroomsSummary: Elementary classrooms are notorious for cute, colorful decor and fun little projects that supplement our content, but that often comes with a cost in terms of sustainability. Today I’m interviewing Amy Louise Davis, of Alou Artist, all about how we can reduce “throw away culture” in our classrooms while also supporting mindfulness and creativity in our students. Amy is a textile artist and embroiderer who is fascinated by pattern and sculpture. Influenced by environmental and social issues, she created alou in 2013 to tackle throw away culture. With a particular interest in repurposing often overlooked...
2021-06-3022 minApple Blossom TeachersKickstart your Project Based Learning experiences: a chat with Kristen Moore about getting started with PBLSummary: Project Based Learning, PBL, is an incredible way to bring authentic learning applications to your students. Today, I’m chatting with Kristen Moore of @moorethanjustX all about getting started with PBL, some common challenges in designing authentic PBL units as well as how to avoid them, and some helpful tips for getting started! Kristen is an instructional coach at a variety of schools across Michigan, applying her expertise of Project Based Learning from her years of teaching at a PBL-centric, competency-based high school. Kristen also provides professional development for educators everywhere through her math pro...
2021-06-1727 minApple Blossom TeachersClosing out your classroom so future you thanks you!Summary: Now that you’ve closed out your teacher-brain for the year and wrapped up your time with your students, it’s time to think about closing out your classroom! But before you lock that door or turn in your key for the summer, follow these tips so August you will be singing your praises! I’m sharing tips for closing out your physical classroom efficiently and effectively, getting that digital file hot mess in order, and staging a few things that will be easy to find and use come back-to-school season! You won’t want to m...
2021-06-1114 minApple Blossom TeachersIntentional plans to rest and recharge this summer, so you are reenergized in the fall!Now that you've reflected on your school year and started to clear out your "teacher thoughts," it's time to set some plans in place for summer! Wait, aren't we just going to chill and recharge over the summer?! YES!! But if you're anything like me, without intentionally planning the things that will make me feel rested and reenergized, those summer days will slip away all too quickly! Grab your reflection guide at appleblossomteachers.com/links and follow along as we think of the things we want and need to do this summer in order to...
2021-05-2619 minApple Blossom TeachersClosure with your professional self, part 1: reflections, goal-setting, and notes for future you!Let's make sure that teacher brain of yours is ready to close out this chapter of your teaching career, rest and recharge over the summer, and prepare to start another incredible chapter in the fall! Today is definitely a grab a notepad, be ready to hit pause a few times kind of episode, so get ready! I wanted to make sure YOU left today feeling like you've really identified your own strengths and challenges from the year, and have some specific things in mind you want to improve on for next year. I hope you f...
2021-05-1313 minApple Blossom TeachersClosure as a class family: the formalities, the sentiments, and the fun stuff!You and your students have made significant memories and progress as a group this year. Honor that relationship and provide great closure by tying up your loose ends, making some extra-fun lasting memories, and reflecting on your year together. Today I share some of my favorite ways to close out the school year with my students. Be sure to hop on over to Instagram to tell me which one you try, or what other ideas you would add to my list! And don't forget to sign up for your interview coaching session over at appleblossomteachers...
2021-05-0719 minApple Blossom TeachersAvoid an interview brain fart by doing these 3 things ahead of time!No one wants to draw a blank in an interview! You know you have the experience or knowledge you need to answer confidently, but being put on the spot can lock the words on the tip of your tongue!! Doing these 3 things can help you prepare to rock your teaching interview and answer any question with confidence: 1. Review as many sample interview questions as you can! 2. Use those questions to guide your portfolio - choose examples and evidence that is relevant and will help you lock your strongest traits in your mind. 3. Practice, p...
2021-04-2411 minApple Blossom TeachersTeacher Interview Series Part One: Let your best traits SHINE!It is TEACHER CAREER KICKOFF time!!! Today is all about how to stand out from the rest and show your interviewers why YOU are the most valuable candidate. We'll chat about how to showcase your unique Skills, Hobbies, Interests, Notable stories, and Extracurricular activities so you can really SHINE!! Be sure to head to appleblossomteachers.com/careerkickoff to download your FREE Interview Prep Pack, which includes the editable resume and portfolio templates, interview prep checklists, practice questions, and MORE! Plus, you'll be the first to know all the details for the big Career Kickoff Party happening in...
2021-04-0914 minApple Blossom TeachersConnecting learning to the real world and authentically building curiosity"Why do we need to learn this?" "When will we ever use this?" Today is all about helping you see these questions as awesome opportunities for boosting curiosity, rather than the most dreaded questions a teacher can get when trying to build engagement! I'm sharing 5 ways you can help students connect the content you're covering in school to ways in which it applies to them in the real world. By doing so, you will boost curiosity and inspire lifelong learning, and help students see that knowledge is not isolated...our world needs it a...
2021-02-1912 minApple Blossom Teachers7 ways to improve student craftsmanship, creativity, and confidenceDo you set clear expectations for effort and craftsmanship in student work, but still wind up with most projects looking simple, rushed, or with little variety? Students don't always naturally know what it means to produce high-quality craftsmanship, and even when we show them strong examples of great student work we've saved from past years, we either end up with projects that look almost identical to the sample or we scare our students who feel like there's no way they can create that! But I promise, it just takes a few simple tips we can teach and...
2021-02-1217 minApple Blossom TeachersQuick tips for stretching your creative teacher muscles, even if you don't think of yourself as the "creative" type!First, STOP the social media scroll!! While we can get incredible ideas from other fantastic educators, the most unique and memorable ideas for your lessons can come from the most random of places! Doctors office artwork? Yup! A magazine article? Totally! The display of soda boxes in the grocery store??? You bet! You'll be amazed at how much more you notice and connect to lesson ideas once you start training your brain to stay alert everywhere you go. In the spirit of keeping your teaching creativity and passion from burning out, I've created a FREE E...
2021-02-0411 minApple Blossom TeachersPlaying "book matchmaker" for your studentsToday I share some simple tips for building your knowledge of great books your students will love, and actually pumping them up for your students in an authentic way! You will start to see a true community of readers bloom, with real conversations around new favorite books happening so naturally between you and your students. Not only will this positively impact your students' literacy growth, it will create a great sense of community and relationship-building in your classroom! I'd love to hear your favorite tip from the episode, and I would absolutely love to chat...
2021-01-2819 minApple Blossom TeachersBuilding a class community of REAL, excited readers!Today I share 5 quick tips for building a community of readers in your classroom. This is such a great way to strengthen the relationships in your classroom and build a love of reading that will carry beyond your 4 walls!
2021-01-2214 minApple Blossom TeachersNew Teacher, New Year, New Goals!Today is all about reflecting on how far you've come this year (yes, even if it feels like you've just been treading water!) and setting some goals to really amp up your impact in 2021! Leave today's episode feeling inspired, recharged, and with a sense of direction to tackle the next chunk of the school year, really making incredible strides forward for yourself and your students.
2021-01-0713 minApple Blossom TeachersStaying on top of it all: 3 common problems with our teacher to-do lists, and some easy fixesSummary: Today’s episode is all about staying on top of it all...the million little things that pop up in a day of teacher life! We’re not talking about big, regular tasks like lesson planning and grading. This is all about the random tasks we need to take care of that pop up throughout the days, and can lead to major frazzle when we lose track! I share 3 common problems with daily teacher-task-management along with some quick systems you can implement that can make a world of difference. If you are in need of a bit more...
2020-12-0213 minApple Blossom TeachersClassroom Community Building Beyond Back-to-schoolSummary: In today’s episode, I share simple systems and activities you can implement in your classroom to continue strengthening your classroom community in a genuine way. These ideas go beyond the basic get-to-know-you and team-building activities and work to build sustainable ways to boost student engagement, motivation, and trust. If you are interested in more in-depth explanations of these strategies, additional ideas, and a set of templates to get you started right away, check out the October Edition of my Classroom Community Building Collection here. Key Points: Teacher systems to implement: Positive notes and...
2020-10-2117 minApple Blossom TeachersYour pep talk to beat the "October Overwhelm"Summary: We are past the back-to-school buzz, and now really trying to chug along with our students. But October is one time of the school year where, as teachers, we can start to lose that juice we had at the start. Today is more of a “pep talk” episode, especially for my first-year teacher listeners! I know it can get overwhelming, and some of you may even be doubting your line of work. But I promise you, YOU CAN DO THIS! I hope you’ll stick with me today as I do my best to r...
2020-10-1412 minApple Blossom Teachers3 Tips for getting more bang out of your instructional minutesSummary: As teachers, it feels like we are always strapped for time! There’s a mile long list of things to get through, beyond just our standard curriculum, and it feels like there is never enough time! Today I want to highlight 3 things that help me really squeeze the most out of those educational minutes, and really make an impact in my students’ learning: hit the ground running, overlap the big ideas and with little strategies, and take advantage of small windows of unexpected opportunity. Key Points: It is so tempting to spend so much...
2020-09-2400 minApple Blossom Teachers5. Use Student Feedback to Build Classroom SuccessSummary: Today I’ll be sharing a bit about how we can use student feedback effectively, why we should, and some ideas on how you can start building a collaborative culture with your own class. Key Points: When we think about getting feedback on our lessons, we typically think of observational feedback from a supervisor, another colleague, or even personal reflections we move through ourselves. And all of these have a place in helping us stretch our practices and grow as educators. But some of the most valuable feedback you can gain is from thos...
2020-08-0500 minApple Blossom TeachersBoost Student Engagement in Online LearningSummary: Listen in for a variety of strategies to boost student engagement in a virtual setting. This was a big challenge for so many in the spring: students, teachers, and families alike. Now we have more than a weekend to prepare ourselves for the road ahead, though, so let’s jump in! Key Points: I share 5 core pillars to help you keep your students engaged, and activities or examples under each pillar. Student Relationships: By building and maintaining strong student relationships, you are in tune with what your students and families need. This can hel...
2020-07-2900 minApple Blossom TeachersConfidently keep your teaching on point! Lifelong learning as an educatorSummary: Teachers must never stop learning! In today’s episode, we’ll chat about why continuous learning is SO important as an educator, for both you and your students. You’ll leave today with some great advice on how to get the most out of professional development for you and your students. Key Points: As great as our undergrad and teacher prep programs may have been, they ended when we graduated. The world keeps changing though, and in order to be the best teachers possible, we have a responsibility to keep up! Beyond ju...
2020-07-0200 minApple Blossom TeachersGetting creative with your teaching priorities: lesson planning for the unknownSummary: In the last episode, I shared a process for planning your educational priorities, even when you’re not sure what your classroom will be like, so you can easily plan the specifics once the time comes. Today I’ll be sharing my own process as a 5th grade teacher looking at an unknown back-to-school season amidst a pandemic. This can apply any year though, because so often we don’t know what school we’ll be at, or which grade level we’ll be teaching. Focusing on your priorities and brainstorming some creative way...
2020-07-0200 minApple Blossom TeachersLesson planning when you can't REALLY planSummary: Every teacher in the world has had to rethink their teaching practices and find new ways to do things as we navigated school during a pandemic. And we all have zero idea just how our upcoming school year will look! We are all rethinking what our classrooms and year ahead will look like, and I want to help make that process feel more manageable. In this episode, I want to focus on how we can quell that frustration that comes with wanting to plan but having no clue what exactly you are planning for! ...
2020-07-0200 minApple Blossom TeachersWelcome to Apple Blossom Teachers!Welcome to the Apple Blossom Teachers Podcast - a space for blooming teachers to learn, reflect, grow, and connect! Listen here for a quick glimpse at what you can expect from this show! This is not your average teaching podcast. There are so many wonderful places where you can find ideas or lessons to try, but my goal is to go beyond that. I want to be your personal teaching mentor, without all the busy work! I’m here to help you navigate challenges of teaching, reflect on practices you’re doing well and areas in which you...
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